Little Gracie in Bonaventure Cemetery Postcard

There is a little girl statue that is life like located in the Bonaventure Cemetery. This statue was made for Gracie Watson’s grave. Being one of the cemeteries most visited graves, there is a wrought iron fence surrounding the grave and statue to help keep people out. Gracie Watson was born in 1883. Her father W.J. Watson was hired to manage the Pulaski Hotel. This hotel was known as one of the most luxurious in the South. Gracie was well known around the hotel and was well loved. In 1889 two days before Easter, Gracie died from pneumonia. Not only was her parents heartbroken, but so was the city of Savannah. Her father had the sculptor John Walz carve her statue from a picture. The statue is said to be life size of little Gracie. If you look at the statue you can see little details from her boots to her head. It is very sad to know, that Gracie is the only Watson family buried here. Her father had gone into deep depression and with the statue looking just like their daughter, they couldn’t handle it anymore. So he had taken other jobs that sent him back to New England and both parents were buried there. It is reported that many people reported to seeing a little girl ghost playing around Johnson Square (where the hotel was built). If you ever find time while in Savannah, Stop off at Bonaventure Cemetery and visit little Gracie.